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KENYON & BROWN. Water Wheel.

2 No. 32,192. Patented April 30, 1861.

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B. B. KENYON AND IRA s. Beowx, or HOPKINTOX, RHODE ISLAND.

WATER-WHEEL Specification of Letters Patent No. 32,192, dated April 30,1861.

To allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that we, BENJAMIN B. KEN j YON and IRA S. BROWN, ofHopkinton, in the county of Vashington and State of Rhode Island, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in WVater-I/Vheels; and wedo hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1, is a vertical section through the curb and gate, showing thewheel in elevation. Fig. 2, is a horizontal section on the line S, S, inFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar section of the gate nearly closed. Fig. 4 isa similar section with the gate entirely closed.

Similar characters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

Our invention relates to the form and construction of the lower portionof the wheel.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use our invention wewill proceed to describe its construction'and operation by the aid ofthe drawings.

The wheel is composed of a hollow cylinder A, joined at its upper edgeto a disk B, which latter is fixed at its center on the upright shaft Cand projects beyond A as represented. A second hollow cylinder M,shorter and of larger diameter than A, is fixed concentrically to thelower portion of A and is rigidly connected therewith by the floats. Thefloats or buckets are represented by D. They are curved in bothdirections and are fitted to the under side of B, the exterior of A, andthe interior of M. The width or the buckets, measured in the directionof the radius of the wheel, is equal to the internal diameter of M fromthe base of the wheel up to the upper edge of M. At this elevation thewidth is contracted, as represented, and the form of the wheel fromthence to the plate A is slightly conical the edges of each bucket lyingin the surface of a cone as is indicated in Fig. 1. j

E, E, is a flooring of iron or other proper material. supported uponsuitable standards F and fitted closely to the upper edge of M.

G represents the exterior of a flame I. which finme surrounds the wheelabove M and receives water through any suitable means not represented. I

K is a strong casting, attached to the inner edge of E, having a conicalform corresponding with and fitting closely to the upper portion of thewheel, and supporting the upright shaft C. Rectangular openings areprovided around its entire circumference, of a height nearly equal tothe conical portion of the wheel and of an aggregate width of about onehalf of the circumference of K, as shown in the horizontal sectionsFigs. 2, 3, 4:. Through these openings the water is admitted to thewheel from the flame.

On the exterior of K is tightly fitted a hollow conical gate L havingopenings corresponding with those in K. From both edges of each openingvertical webs, 1, 2, extend outward into the fiume inia directiontangent to a cone or cylinder somewhat smaller than K and longer than A.These webs are sustained in position by a broad flange l on the top of Land guide the water in its passage to the openings in K. The gate, L, l,with its webs l and 2 is capable of turning around K to such extent asto uncover the openings in the latter fully or partially, or to closethem entirely, as may be desired, and is capable of adjustment in any ofthese positions by means of gearing or other suitable mechanism notrepresented.

The water in the flume I, flowing to the wheel through the passages inK, is guided by the webs or directors 1, 2, and striking the upperportion of the buckets imparts its momentum to the wheel. It then flowsdownward and escapes through the lower face of the wheel giving thelatter an additional impulse, due to its inertia and gravity in a mannercommon to many other wheels.

The floats being greatly inclined from the vertical at their loweredges. afford a thinner space for the pass ge of the water between eachfloat and the next than in the upper portion of the wheel. This ispartially compensated for by the increased width of the buckets whichare here extended to the diameter of the ring M, as above intimated.This enlargement of the diameter of'the wheel below the r ceiving point,not only tends to compensate for the decreased space between the floats.but also serves to prevent leakage by reason of the rim M being farther.from the center of the wheel than the inner edge of E thus allowin thewat r to spread freely. to a small extent, on passing that point. and.caus ng li tle or no pressure at t e joint between the wheel and E. Thisenlar ement also nern-its the w"ter to flow ore n arlv in the dir ctionwhich the combined a tion of centrifugal force and gravity would requirein order to give the best efl'ect. By the peculiar action of K inconnection with 1, when the -gate is partly closed, the water whichflows through the opening is caused to impinge upon the wheel in a solidstream the entire width of the gate, and with the full force due to thehead, and thereby to exert as great a proportional effect as the largerquantity flowing through the entire opening.

Our improved wheel will give out nearly thefull effective power of thewater, whatever quantity may be used.

We do not claim broadly making the buckets or floats wider at theirlower than their upper ends, for the purpose of giving an increasedopening for the escape of the water, as we are aware that they have beenmade to extend inward toward the center of the wheels for that purpose,and have also been constructed of a gradually increasing width from thetop to the bottom;

neither do We claim the employment of di- Begs-Q ":Q 14;

:ne the water; neither do u buckets D 1n both directions, or s ears adecreasing pltch, so as to produce a We effect, but

rectors for giving Having now fully described our invention what weclaim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent isIncreasing the diameter of the wheel and the width of the buckets Dimmediately be low the casing or curb, K, E, in combination with theexterior rim or cylinder M substantially as, and for the purposes hereinset forth. 7

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our names in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

- BENJ. B. KENYON.

IRA S. BROWN.

Witnesses CHRISTOPHER BROWN, W. F. PRossER.

